Acts 9:26

He assayed (epeirazen). Imperfect active of conative action. To join himself (kollasqai). Present middle (direct) infinitive of conative action again. Same word kollaw in Luke 15:15 ; Acts 10:28 . See on "Mt 19:5" for discussion. Were all afraid of him (pante epobounto auton). They were fearing him. Imperfect middle picturing the state of mind of the disciples who had vivid recollections of his conduct when last here. What memories Saul had on this return journey to Jerusalem after three years. He had left a conquering hero of Pharisaism. He returns distrusted by the disciples and regarded by the Pharisees as a renegade and a turncoat. He made no effort to get in touch with the Sanhedrin who had sent him to Damascus. He had escaped the plots of the Jews in Damascus only to find himself the object of suspicion by the disciples in Jerusalem who had no proof of his sincerity in his alleged conversion. Not believing (mh pisteuonte). They had probably heard of his conversion, but they frankly disbelieved the reports and regarded him as a hypocrite or a spy in a new role to ruin them. Was (estin). The present tense is here retained in indirect discourse according to the common Greek idiom.